n a
low voice, who that was in the maid's bed, sleeping with her? And the
children replied that it was their father, and the servants that it was
their master. Then she led them out, and made them go to bed again, for
it was too early to get up, and she also went back to bed, but did not
sleep again till it was time to rise.

Soon after she had left the lovers, they woke up, and took leave of each
other amorously. The master returned to bed, to his wife's side, without
saying a word, nor did she, but pretended to be asleep, at which he
was very glad, thinking that she knew nothing of his adventure, for he
greatly feared her, both for his peace and that of the girl. So he slept
soundly, and his wife, as soon as it was time to get up, rose, and to
please her husband, and give him something comforting after the laxative
medicine that he had taken that night, woke up her servants, and called
her maid, and told her to kill the two fattest capons in the fowl-house,
and prepare them nicely, and then go to the butcher and buy the best bit
of beef she could procure, and put it in water to make a good soup, as
she well knew how, for she was a capital cook.

The girl, who heartily desired to please her mistress and her master,
the one for love and the other from fear, said that she would willingly
do all that was commanded.

Then the wife went to Mass, and on her return passed by the house of
her son, of whom I have spoken, and asked him to come and dine with
her husband, and to bring with him three or four good fellows whom she
named, and whom she and her husband wished invited.

Then she returned home to see after the dinner, and found that her
husband had gone to church. Meanwhile, her son had gone round to invite
the guests his mother had named, and who were the greatest jokers in St.
Omer.

The good man came back from Mass, and embraced his wife, and she did the
same to him, and, in order that he should not suspect anything, she said
that she rejoiced at his recovery, for which he thanked her, and said;

"Indeed I am in fairly good health, my dear, after last night, and I
think I have a very good appetite, so we will have dinner at once if you
like."

She replied, "I am very glad to hear, it but you must wait a little till
the dinner is ready; and until such and such people, whom I have invited
to dine with you, have arrived."

"Invited!" said he, "and for what reason? I do not care about them and
would rather they